Glory and Gore
by MaliceNSpice
Summary: Cassia is no ordinary woman. She has the determination and strength to rival any gladiator. Like them, she will fight whoever stands in the way of her freedom. But will her intentions change when she meets a certain champion? With danger at every corner can love possibly bloom in an arena stained with blood and hate? Spartacus/OC. Slight OC/Crixus.
1. Prologue

Scared was not the correct term to what I was currently feeling.

_Terrified. Petrified. Lost. _Those were more accurate.

I stood in line with about five other women. Dirt-stained rags hardly covered their bodies and left little to the imagination, although I suppose that was the idea. To present us not as human beings but as objects, offering our labor, undying loyalty, our bodies, and our very lives. I frowned in distaste but quickly returned to my emotionless mask. My dress, or rather what was left of it, was torn at the abdomen, exposing my flat stomach. Several scratches littered my tan skin and my lip had the remains of a scar from where one of the slave traders had beat me for being defiant. Defiant. The word alone brought the tiniest of smirks to my pink lips. My long dark brown hair cascaded to my lower back, my golden brown eyes seemingly blank but secretly filled with worry and uncertainty. I tried ignoring the sounds of the names being called, tried remaining optimistic and to hold on to the tiny bit of hope still remaining in me. _'I'll survive, I'll make it out of here. I shall return home somehow. I must get through this, I musn't lose hope. I must be strong,' _I thought to myself.

''Cassia.''

I winced at the sound of my name. I stepped forward, presenting myself. I looked the middle aged man in the eyes and bit back the glare I so deperately wanted to give him. He looked me over slowly, inspecting me.

''You are truly blessed by Venus, are you not?'' he grinned slightly.

I remained silent, annoying the man apparently.

''Speak child!'' he commanded.

''What am I to say?'' I asked calmly.

He appeared taken back by my calmness, not angered but simply perplexed at my calm and soothing voice.

''Where are you from girl?'' he asked, seemingly to be genuinely interested.

''Thrace,'' I answered.

The fiery haired woman beside him seemed to perk up at the sound of my homeland.

''Batiatus, perhaps she can tame the Thracian,'' she whispered not too loudly.

My eyes widened at the idea of being a whore to some lowly beast of a man. The man I know knew to be Batiatus nodded and waved her off. His eyes locked mine.

''Have you any talents, Cassia?'' I was shocked to hear him use my birth name, and slightly relieved. My name was all I had left of my former life and I truly did not wish to lose it to some slave name.

''Would you like me to demonstrate?'' I asked, unsure of what to call him.

He quirked a brow and smirked, most likely assuming I would pleasure him. He nodded casually. I smirked. In a flash I kicked the guard next to me, swinging my leg underneath him to cause him to fall on to his back. His sword fell with a metal clank and I quickly picked it up, holding it to his neck. The other guard in the room ran towards me, sword raised. I swung back around, our swords clashing. The other women gasped and cried out in fear and shock. Batiatus leaned at the edge of his chair, completely shocked and caught up in my ''demonstration''. My arms worked skillfully, fending off the large guard fairly easily. Suddenly, I delivered a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him to the ground with an impressive thud. Once again, I pressed the sword to the guards neck. Then silence.

Batiatus' clapping caused me to snap out of it and turn my head back to him.

''I do believe we are done here,'' he said to the slave trader.

''You shall become my female gladiator, understood? You shall fight only partial and serve me like the other women and I shall be your Dominus,'' he grinned.

I had no choice in the matter so I simply nodded. ''Yes Dominus,'' I answerred. He turned back to his wife. ''Lucretia have Naevia clean Cassia up, then have her escort her to meet the gladiators,'' he ordered.

''Yes husband,'' she said.

Her eyes looked me over. She then locked gaze with me. She offered a small smile, to which I simply stared curiously at her. In all truth, she intimidated me. And rightfully so.

''You shall be quite beneficial to my husband and I,'' she said quietly.

I quirked a brow at her but knew better not to comment.

''Naevia,'' she called.

A darker-skinned woman walked into the room. She seemed quiet and fragile but beautiful all the same.

''Yes Domina?'' Naevia answered.

''Wash up our newest treausre, then take her to meet the gladiators,'' Lucretia ordered.

''Yes Domina,'' she bowed her head in submission.

Our eyes met and she offered me a small smile. I returned it, feeling like I could use a friend in this new prison. I then turned my attention back to Lucretia who smiled approvingly down at me.

''I shall see you soon, Cassia,'' she said.

''Yes Domina,'' I answered obediantly. Then I turned on my heel and exited the room with Naevia.

''Forgive me for asking, but are you to pleasure the gladiators?'' she asked meekly.

My face scrunched up in disgust at the thought. ''Hopefully not. Dominus only said I was to be his servant and she-gladiator,'' I explained.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

''You are a gladiator?'' she asked.

''Apparently so.''

''I wish you luck in the ring,'' she said, making me smile at her.

''I am not afraid to die Naevia. I don't think about death,'' I told her truthfully.

''Still, the beasts out there are ruthless. All they care about is their freedom, understandably, but they will kill anyone who stands in the way of their glory.''

Glory. I smirked to myself when Naevia said the word.

**''Let me in the ring, I'll show them what that word means.''**

If only I had known what was in store for me in the very near future.


	2. First Impressions

I sighed happily, the warm water from the bath Naevia had prepared for me was doing wonders on my sore and tired body. The scent of rose petals mixed in with some sweet smelling berry that Lucretia had requested for me filled the room. Naevia along with a few other slaves helped clean me. I blushed, not used to others seeing me in such a vulnerable state. Yes, they were women but still I hardly knew these people and here they were, touching my body and acting so casual about it. Naevia must've sensed my uneasiness.

''I can take care of her from here, leave,'' she ordered the other women out.

I supposed I had underestimated Naevia and had mistaken her for fragile and meek. I now could clearly hear the authority and boldness in her beautifully strong voice. I smiled at her in thanks, to which she returned the smile immediately. He soft hands scrubbed my hair clean and left it flawless and free of the previous tangles and knots.

''Are you at all nervous of meeting the men?''

I pondered the question in my mind for a second or so before responding.

''Yes and no. Any woman would be terrified to fight men twice her size, and the idea of being in an enclosed space with them doesn't exactly ease my worries. But at the same time I am confident that I will not die, not here in an arena where people will forget about me. If I am to die, I wish to die with honor and dignity, not by the hands of a gladiator.''

Naevia smiled at my answer.

''I admire you Cassia.''

''And I admire you as well, you have patience to deal with Lucretia and Batiatus,'' I said, causing Naevia to laugh.

After my bath she presented me with my new outfit. My eyes widened at the beauty of the white dress that was put on my body. Along the waist was a beautiful golden embroidery. It was cut low in the front, exposing more skin than what I would've liked. However, I could not complain, the dress was indeed the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes upon. Or so I thought at the time. Naevia gave an approving smile before gently taking my hand and leading me to my next destination. I kept my cool, calm facade despite my worries and fears. I was on my way to my possible grave, about to meet the men who would kill me in an instant...or worse. I cringed at the thought. The idea of one of them doing such a thing was enough to make my eyes widen with dear and my hands shake. Then I remembered that I musn't think like that. I had to remain hopeful, I had to believe I would escape the ludus and win back my freedom. I mentally nodded to myself, I would not let them intimidate me into losing hope. Hope was the only thing I had left to hold on to. And I would be damned before I let anyone steal that from me.

Before I had even realized, the sound of a gate opening alerted me that we had arrived at the destination. Naevia squeezed my hand reassuringly before leading me into the training grounds. I had not taken one step onto the grounds when the sounds of swords clashing and men screaming obscenities at each other had filled my ears. Several dozen men were sparring with one another or observing their potential rivals. They cheered on their comrades and screamed in anguish at their enemies. Then, when Naevia and I had made our presence known, it all went silent. I couldn't help but meet the eyes of the huge men looking at me. I did all that I could to appear strong and emotionless, praying that my nervousness would go unnoticed by these brutes. One of the men grinned and approached me and Naevia. He was bald, several scars littering his body, and was twice my size easily. His eyes locked mine as he stood face to face with me. I had half a mind to hide behind Naevia but knew I couldn't show weakness to them.

''Has Batiatus sent us a gift?'' the man spoke with a foreign accent, sending chills down my spine.

My eyes narrowed and it was then that I decided I would turn my fear into anger. Naevia let go of my hand, her hands fisting at her sides as she calmly looked up at the giant of a man.

''She is no slave, Gnaeus. She is Cassia, Batiatus' new she-gladiator.''

The man known as Gnaeus stared harshly at me, lust filling his dark eyes. He smirked down at me.

''This puny woman?! A gladiatrix? Has Batiatus lost his mind?'' Gnaeus roared in laughter. The other men joined him in his merriment, all but a few men who looked at me in curiosity.

Suddenly, my face was in Gnaeus' grasp, holding me to look him directly in his eyes.

''I am going to enjoy taking you in my cell,'' he smirked down at me.

My eyes widened and mouth fell open at his words, causing him to grin wider.

''Has the little warrior never had a cock in that tight little cunt? If not, I assure you, you have never and will never have had a man like me. You should feel honored-.''

I gasped as he picked me up by my buttocks, shoving me against one of the stone walls. My face contorted in utter disgust when I felt his member press against me through my dress. I stared right into his eyes and spit on him. He growled in fury and raised his enormous hand to slap me. I instantly brought my knee up, hitting him in his most sensitive area. He fell to his knees and I ran from him, trying to get back to Naevia's side.

''You little whore!''

I turned back around, my fist raised and making contact with his nose. A sickening crunch was heard and Gnaeus fell on to his back, clutching his bleeding nose. The men went silent, clearly no one had ever stood up to Gnaeus before. And to odd to their shock, the one to bring the beast of man to his knees was a woman. Then, several men bursted in laughter. I hesitantly turned to look at them, my anger still causing me to shake. When I had seen that they were not laughing at me, but in fact Gnaeus, I calmed a little. I did not notice Gnaeus get back up, practice sword in hand and lunge at me. _CLANK!_

I jumped back around, expecting to be struck by Gnaeus. The blow never came. I gasped at what I saw instead. A man, the same height at Gnaeus was holding the pig off with his own practice sword. The new man had short brown hair, somewhat fair skin, a slight beard not quite forming around his face, and the body of a gladiator. But what captivated me the most were his eyes. They were beautiful, the color of the blue ocean water. I found the air knocked out of my lungs at the mere sight of this man who had just protected me.

''Enough Gnaeus!'' the man growled.

''Does the champion have a hard on for the new cunt?'' Gnaeus sneered in his face.

The man simply narrowed his eyes and kicked the air out of Gnaeus, continuing to kick and elbow him in the face until he backed up and fell and hit his head against the concrete wall.

''Aw Spartacus you're no fun,'' a few of the men chuckled.

Spartacus turned around, panting slightly and met my gaze. It sent electricity down my entire being, golden brown orbs locked gazes with baby blue hues. I couldn't help but wonder if he felt the sensations I felt at just simply looking at him. We stood there for what seemed like an eternity. His eyes looked me over, not in a lustful way, jsut simply taking me in. Finally he broke our silence.

''Are you alright?'' he asked and I was shocked at how surprisingly soft his voice was.

''Yes. Thank you,'' I answered softly, nodding my head at him in thanks.

I could've sworn the tiniest of smiles met his handsome face. Nonetheless, as soon as it was there he quickly went back to his stoic demeanor.

''Come.''

Naevia sensed that I was in good hands and smiled at me before leaving. I hesitantly followed my savoir to a different location. A room filled with tables and the smell of food was where I met another gladiator. He stood out right away, blonde curls at the top of his head and equally enchanting light eyes. He offered a welcoming smile, causing me to smile back at him.

''Hello,'' I smiled kindly at him.

''Hello, and who is the goddess, Spartacus?'' he asked his friend making me laugh.

Spartacus lightly smiled. ''Our new gladiatrix, Cassia.''

I would be lying if I had said that the way my name rolled off his tongue didn't send me thrills. The man's eyes widened.

''Gladiatrix? So there is a warrior behind that pretty face,'' he smiled.

''I don't know about the latter but I assure you I am capable of fighting like the rest of the gladiators,'' I smiled.

''I don't doubt it, I would be a fool if I did. I am Varro,'' he offered his hand.

I took it with my own and shook it. ''Cassia, pleased to meet a few decent men in this shithole,'' I smiled, causing both of them to grin. My eyes drifted back to Spartacus'.

''I am Spartacus,'' he said, offering his hand as well. I slowly took it and both of us slightly jumped away at the feeling we had received when our skin made contact. Nevertheless, we shook hands and I fought the blush creeping along my cheeks.

''Cassia. I thank you again Spartacus for what you did back there,'' I nodded my head to the training grounds.

He smiled a bit and nodded his head. Varro smirked playfully and nudged his friend.

''Always having to be the hero now, tis true hmm Spartacus?'' he teased.

We all laughed lightly and that was the moment a certain friendship bloomed between us three. Then Spartacus met my eyes once more and the feeling returned. It was a warm, pure feeling that one only feels rarely in life. A feeling that leaves the rest of the world fading from you. And that was exactly what I was thinking when those baby blue orbs stared into me. I felt so open, like he could stare into my soul if he had desired to. I had never felt more free and vulnerable at the same time. Yet, it was a feeling I took a liking too and it was a feeling that would not leave me so long as I looked into his eyes. I reluctantly turned my gaze to the table slightly, breaking the trance we were both in. I couldn't afford any distractions, and neither could Spartacus. Here, we were fighting for our very lives, our freedom. There was no time for distractions. Nonetheless, in the back of my mind I continued to wonder if Spartacus had felt what I felt whenever we locked gazes and if he had felt the electrifying sensation when we had made contact. I quickly dismissed the thought and commanded myself to forget about it. I would win my freedom and be rid of this place. And I would never see the blue-eyed warrior again.

I couldn't have been more wrong and more naive. . . .


	3. Intoxicated

''And this is where you shall stay.''

Naevia introduced me to a decent sized cell. I imagined it was slightly larger than where the men stayed. It was isolated from the others, but close enough that I can hear the sounds of them drinking and celebrating some unknown occasion. I scanned the room, a pallet on the ground with a pillow, a bench to sit upon, a large basin where I can bathe, and a window with bars. I smiled slightly, appreciating that I at least had it better than the men. I sat upon the bench, taking everything in as Naevia stood across from me.

''I imagine you are too tired to go have dinner with the men?'' she said softly, making me scoff.

''And have Gnaeus undress me with his eyes?'' I smirked at her.

''I would imagine Spartacus would put an end to that immediately,'' she grinned at me.

I felt the heat rush to my face at the mention of the blue-eyed warrior. ''I saw the way he looked at you,'' she added. I shook my head defiantly.

''I know not what you speak of,'' I prayed she didn't see the pink in my cheeks.

''I see. Well I shall hopefully see you tomorrow, good night Cassia,'' Naevia smirked playfully, nodding her head at me as she exited my cell. I sighed, laying down on my ''bed''. I closed my eyes, taking in the events of today. Batiatus. Lucretia. Naevia. Gnaeus. Varro. Spartacus. Those haunting eyes were still so clear in my thoughts. I reopened my eyes and sat up, the sounds of the gladiators breaking my thoughts. 'I suppose it wouldn't hurt to eat something to fill my stomach,' I thought to myself when my stomach rumbled in hunger. It was then that I noticed how dry my mouth was. It craved water or something to satisfy it. I sighed, reluctantly getting up and leaving my cell. I followed the sounds of the men, my hunger and thirst overpowering my fear and worry. I opened the door to the room and froze instantly. Men were drinking, throwing glass against the stone walls, gambling, wrestling on table tops, some had requested slaves for the night and were taking the women against the walls and on chairs and anywhere else they pleased. The stench of sweat and alcohol filled me and I grimaced as the sounds of women and men moaning filled my ears.

''By Gods,'' I muttered, moving around the chaos to hopefully get something to fill my stomach.

I dodged several obstacles, ignoring the whistles and several comments as I walked past the men. I bumped into one of the men, getting pushed backwards into someone's chest. I slowly glanced up, seeing a smaller, dark-skinned boy. He offered a small smile and all my fear vanished.

''You must be the gladiatrix everyone continues to speak of,'' he grinned kindly.

''I suppose I am, I am Cassia,'' I offered my hand, turning around to properly face him.

''I am Pietros,'' he beamed back, shaking my hand.

''Pietros!" a strong voice made us look up.

A man, skin dark like Piertos' and long dark hair protectively stood next to the young boy, wrapping an arm around him. He looked me over carefully, making sure I meant no harm.

''Barca, calm yourself, this is-,''

''The gladiatrix,'' the man named Barca said, the hint of a grin on his handsome face.

''The ludus is still buzzing of your actions today,'' he grinned, talking about the incident with Gnaeus.

My nose scrunched up. ''I have no regrets,'' I simply stated, making the two men laugh. The three of us then found ourselves sitting together, drinking more and more wine with each passing minute and eating til our stomachs' content. I had learned that they were lovers and were by each other's sides nearly all the time. In all honesty, I was jealous. I craved a love like theirs. The thought was quickly removed from my mind. We spoke of how I ended up here, what I thought of the situation. They told me of each warrior, telling me who was to be trusted and who was to be avoided. As Barca pointed out the men, I noticed the lack of two certain warriors. Varro and Spartacus were nowhere in sight. Of course they wouldn't be here, they were decent men. I gulped down another cup of wine. I should've stopped as soon as I consumed that cup, but I didn't. Pietros, Barca, and I laughed harder at absolutely nothing. It became clear that I was drunk and that I had made a huge mistake. Whether I was so intoxicated that I had imagined the sound of music filling the room or not, I will never know. I quickly stood up and began dancing like a fool. If I was in my normal state of my mind, I would've killed myself. However, I was deeply drunk and out of my mind. The others stared at me and cheered me on. Soon, other men danced on the tables with me, I simply continued to dance with Pietros, Barca laughing and sipping his wine as he watched our foolish actions.

''I'm the Queen of wine!'' I laughed hysterically.

''It appears the Queen can't hold her wine very well then,'' Pietros teased.

I laughed and lost my footing, falling off the table. Thankfully, I fell into strong arms. In my drunken state, I simply grinned up at my savoir. My vision blurred and my head rushed. In a daze, I found myself, still in the arms of the man who caught me.

''I'm taking you, little warrior,'' a deep voice purred in my ear.

The words did not faze me, I simply groaned and rested my head against the unknown man's chest. I heard him laugh, the vibrations being felt as I rested my face against his hard chest. I glanced around, seeing the man carry me out of the room. Once we were out, he roughly grabbed my chin and forced me to look up at him. My eyes were half closed and all I felt his forceful lips on mine in a lustful, sloppy kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck, moaning when he shoved his tongue into my mouth. I submitted to him immediately. In my mind I was picturing Spartacus holding me, kissing me. And in my state of my mind, I truly believed that it was him. I felt my feet touch the floor as the man pinned me to the wall. He grabbed my thighs and yanked them up, forcing me to wrap my long, smooth legs around him. Out of fear of falling, I wrapped my arms around his neck. I moaned slightly louder when I felt something hard poking my woman hood.

''I'm going to enjoy this, little warrior. By the end of the night your cunt is mine and you will be my whore.''

My eyes widened as I somehow realized who exactly it was that I was holding on to. I fearfully looked up and stared into the eyes of Gnaeus. I opened my mouth to scream for help when he forced his lips on mine again. His enormous hand slipped under my thin dress and squeezed my left breast with such a force that I knew it would bruise. I screamed in his mouth, moving to try and push him off of me. My actions were met with undesired results as he growled in pleasure and ground his hips into mine. Finally, he released my mouth and I gasped for air.

''S-Stop,'' I cried out, tears streaming down my cheeks.

''Shut up,'' he snarled, yanking my hair back to expose my neck.

I whimpered when he began sucking at the flesh and biting it, leaving his mark.

''You gave me bruises on my face, I'll bruise your fucking cunt!'' he growled and in an instant I was shoved into his cell, him dropping me on my back on his bed. He pinned my body down with his and I screamed for help. His face twisted in anger as he punched me in my face, shutting me up. I sobbed, feeling him tug down my dress, exposing my breasts to him. I struggled against him, begging him to stop and let me go. He ignored my pleas and pinned my hands with one of his hands as he began suckling on my breast. I gasped at the feeling, my body cold with shock and disgust. I sobbed harder, tears blurring my vision when I realized there was no way out of this, I was going to be deflowered by this pig of a man. I closed my eyes, crying out for help in small whimpers, still struggling against him in vain. I did not see the cell door open. I did not hear the foot steps dash to the bed. All I felt was Gnaeus being thrown off of me. I quickly covered my breasts, fixing my dress. I broke down crying, curling up in a ball. Several grunts could be heard, yelling, cursing and a sickening splatter.

When I felt a hand on my shoulder I flinched and backed up against the wall, crying like an infant. I began begging for mercy, for them to just let me go.

''Cassia!''

I froze, recognizing the voice right away. I looked up, shaking.

''Spartacus.''


End file.
